Turkish delegation urges swift resolution in genocide case against Israel

The delegation from the Turkish parliament in The Hague have urged a swift resolution to South Africa's genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), emphasising the need for a speedy process and justice.

The preliminary hearing on South Africa's case at the ICJ, accusing Israel of violating the Genocide Convention with its actions in Gaza, took place in The Hague on Friday.

The Turkish delegation led by Cuneyt Yuksel, Chairman of the Parliamentary Justice Committee and AK Party Istanbul Deputy, was present in The Hague to monitor the trial and made statements to the press after its conclusion.

After the trial, Yuksel addressed the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, stating that Israel, "the perpetrator of this tragedy and disgrace, continues its actions unabashedly".

"As Türkiye, both our authorities and civil society will never be complicit in this oppression," he said, adding that Türkiye "demands an immediate end to Israel's barbaric attacks targeting civilians and believes that those responsible must be held accountable. "

Yuksel expressed the expectation that the outcome of the case at the ICJ would bring relief to the conscience of the international community.

Cease-fire above all

"We welcome the application made by the Republic of South Africa to the ICJ. We reiterate our support for this process on behalf of the Turkish people. We hope for a swift resolution of this process and for justice to prevail," Yuksel said.

Emphasising the need for the Court's interim measures to secure a cease-fire above all, he urged the facilitation of much-needed "unconditional, unimpeded, and regular" humanitarian aid for Gaza.

"It has once again become evident that achieving lasting peace and stability in our region is not possible without a fair political resolution to the Palestinian issue. Therefore, our fundamental expectation is for the international community to take urgent and concrete steps towards establishing peace," he stressed.

"Türkiye is ready to actively contribute to all efforts leading to a solution and is also prepared to take on a guarantor role in the implementation of any final agreement," he added.

Ismail Emrah Karayel, President of the EU-Türkiye Joint Parliamentary Committee, was also among the Turkish delegation. He

Karayel highlighted Türkiye's support for international law and courts in conflict resolution, emphasising the need for disputes to be resolved in accordance with international legal rules.

Karayel conveyed that Türkiye will always be a follower of the process in such cases to ensure justice, punish perpetrators, and take necessary actions against those responsible.

He emphasised that the failure to investigate and punish Israel's crimes is an unacceptable situation and called for the Court to issue interim measures to alleviate the tragedy in Gaza, noting that Türkiye will also monitor the implementation of these measures.

On Thursday, the first day of the trial, the South African side presented their allegations against Israel to the ICJ along with the supporting reasons and evidence.

The day concluded after the Ambassador of South Africa to Amsterdam, Vusimuzi Madonsela, read the nine interim measures his country requested from the Court against Israel.

Legal representatives for South Africa in the trial accused Israel of "deliberate actions against Gazans, proving genocidal intent."